Since many trees have long life spans, bonsai are often handed down from generation to generation. Gu cautions against excessive symmetry, which can appear unnatural.
Imagine you are an artist beginning a new project. You know the project will reflect the beauty of nature in a special way. You also know that it will take great patience on your part. It may be years before this work of art begins to look the way you hope it will. In fact, no matter what age you are when you start the project, you realize that you will have to pass it on to the next generation so the work can continue.
Now consider this: The art project you are working on is itself a living thing. It reflects the beauty of nature because it is actually part of nature. And it may live for centuries, as generation after generation continues the work you began.
Does this sound like something from science fiction? Or perhaps an ancient legend?
On the contrary, the form of art being described is very real. Your new art project is a bonsai that you have begun to cultivate and prune. These miniature trees are living works of art that may be handed down from generation to generation, carefully tended through centuries of history.
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